Netanyahu: Israel Needs More Military Aid After Iran's Nuclear Agreement

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated on Thursday, January 21, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that his country now requires more military assistance from the United States due to the Iran nuclear agreement. According to AFP, the Israeli government is negotiating with the U.S. regarding the amount of military aid for the next decade. The current military aid agreement from the U.S. to Israel ends in 2017. This military aid currently amounts to approximately $3.1 billion per year, and Israel has requested an increase in this amount. This figure does not include U.S. military expenditures, including its participation in the construction of Israel's new missile defense system known as the 'Iron Dome.' Netanyahu stated that following the Iran nuclear agreement and the lifting of some sanctions against its main regional rival, Israel needs a larger budget to maintain its military superiority. He added, 'The influx of cash to Iran will enable that country to increase its support for armed groups affiliated with it, including Hezbollah and other enemies of Israel.' In part of his speech, Netanyahu also said, 'Resisting Iranian aggression at the regional level, which continues and will escalate considering the income from the lifting of sanctions, is very important; the most effective way to stop Iranian aggression is to strengthen America's allies in the region, and Israel is at the forefront.' He added, 'Our intention is to receive more military aid, but remember that this amount, over a ten-year period, is not that high compared to Iran's income.' After the implementation of the nuclear agreement by Iran, billions of dollars of Iran's frozen assets in foreign banks were released, and with the resolution of an old legal dispute regarding transactions between Iran and the U.S., $1.7 billion is set to be paid directly from Washington to Iran. The Prime Minister of Israel, a country recognized as the only nuclear power in the Middle East, although it has not officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, referred to the global community's agreement with Iran as 'a historic mistake.' Netanyahu's criticisms of this agreement, particularly his speech to the U.S. Congress, have cooled relations between Israel and the U.S. Since then, he has somewhat toned down his rhetoric and traveled to Washington in November 2015 to reduce the chill in relations between the two countries. According to Haaretz, an American delegation is scheduled to visit Israel next week to continue negotiations regarding military assistance. Israel's military budget, excluding U.S. aid, is about $16 billion per year. A significant portion of Netanyahu's speech in Davos was dedicated to the Iran nuclear agreement and the Syrian civil war, but he briefly addressed the crisis regarding the Palestinians as well. Regarding the occupied areas of the West Bank, the Israeli Prime Minister said, 'Despite recent attacks on Israeli citizens, we have tried to ensure that the economy of the Palestinian-controlled areas does not suffer because we do not want all Palestinians to fall into this trap.' Following a new wave of attacks by Palestinians on residents of Israeli cities using firearms and vehicles, senior right-wing members of Netanyahu's cabinet have called for stronger government responses to this violence.